Knuckle-pin retainer.



C. F. MURRAY. KNUGKLE PIN RETAINER. ArrLIoA'rIon rum we. 1a, 1909.

Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

. a citizen of the United States,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. u

CHARLES F. MURRAY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN STEEL FON- DRIES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

KNUCKLE-PIN RETAINER.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

To all 'whom it my concern.'

Be it known vthat I, CHARLES F. MURRAY, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, have'invented certain new and use-` I ful Improvements in Knuckle-Pin Retainers,'of which the following is a specification.

My present invention pertains to improvements 1n railway car couplers, and more particularly and especially to means associated with the` pivot-pin of the coupler-knuckle to maintain the pin in place, and prevent its falling out if by accident the pin becomes broken, whereby the cars will remain coupled together and in operative engagement, such retainer or support for the broken pin, however, acting a so as an indicator to show that the pin has been damaged and should bereplaced. In assenger cars, where the/platforms or bu ng devices overhang the couplers, reventing removal of the knuckle pivot-pms upwardly from the coupler, it has been customary` and usual to support and ,maintain such pins in place by suitable means located at the bottom or under side of the coupler, and it is to be noted that my improved pin-retaining device may be readily employed for this purpose, and under such circumstances it' 'acts at all times as a support and retainer for the in; whereas when the appliance is employe in connection with the pivot-pins of freight car couplers the retainer is normally inoperative' and merely .acts as a safeguard and indicator for a broken pin.

This lnvention is susceptible of a considerable variety of embodiments, and in order that a full and complete understanding of -the invention ma be had, I have illustrated three such embo iments on the accompanying sheet ofV drawings forming a part of this specification, and to which reference should be made.

In this drawing-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a car-coupler partlybroken away,

and indicating one form of my improved retainers for the knuckle pivot-pin; Figi 2 is a face view, on an enlarged scale, of the retainer and a fragment of the lower portion of the coupler proper, this figure indicating in dotted lines how the retainer may be manipulated'so as to carry it away from beneath the pivot-pin to permit withdrawal of the broken arts of the latter; Fi 3 is a. fragmentary e evation, part of whic is sec-` Referring to this drawin it will be noticed that in Fig. l, I have i lustrated a carcoupler 10 of the usual type, equipped or supplied with a turning knuckle 11 pivoted on a pivot-pin 12 passing through alined holes 13, 14 of the usual outstanding spaced arms 15 and 16. This coupler is illustrated as applied to a freight car, inwhich the carbody does not overhang the pivot-pin, and consequently such pin 12 has at its top end a head 17, the pin at its lower end having passed therethrough beneath the arm 15 `a transverse cotter pin 18, which acts by cooperation with the arm 15 to prevent riding or working up of the pin. If no retainer for such a pin were employed and the latter became broken, the lower portions of the same would fall out, rendering the coupler inoperative and useless in many cases, and it is the object of this invention to provide a combined pin-retainer and indicator, to hold the broken portions of the pin in place and maintain. the coupler in operative condition, and at thel same time indlcatc that the concealed pin has been broken and damaged. In the particular embodiment of this retainer illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the coupler 10 has integral therewith a lug 19 pro jccting downwardly from the bottom surface of the coupler and adjacent to the knuckle pivot-pin, as is clearly indicated. `This Dlug as a hole or aperture 20 extended therethrough, the lower ortion 21 of which is of angular shape, whi e the upper portion 22* is of larger circular form. The retainer proper consists of a member 23 having at its lower end a foot or step 24 normally underlying the lower end of the pivot-pm 12, as is indicated in Fig. 1. Near the top end of the main body 23 of this retainer, there projects in a direction opposite to the foot .or step 22 a shank or (pin r25 square or angular in cross section an provided w'th a transversely-arranged retaining cot er-pin 26. The cross section of this shank 25 corresponds substantially in shape and size t the Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

F i0. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2,

ing thel retainer from being turned or swung upwardly. As will be readily understood,

. its weight normally maintains it in this position. If for any reason the pin becomes broken so that the lower portion of the saine descends, it will strike the foot or step 24 and rest thereon, being held thereby in operative relation with respect to the other parts of the coupler, and especially the knuckle, so that the cars will not become inadvertently uncoupled or disconnected. When the pin is in this position it serves as an indicator to show that it is broken and should be replaced by a new pin.

. In case it is desired to remove the pivotpin or take out any broken fragment thereof, it is Ymerely necessary to lift the pin-retainer 23 into the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 1, so that the shank 25 will reside in the round portion 22 of the aperture 20, and

when the retainer is in such position it may be turned into the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 2-, permitting the pivot-pin to be struck blows from beneath to effect its removal, or permitting the withdrawal downwardly of any broken parts of the same. This turning of the retainer is'permittcd, as will be obvious, by the fact that the section or portion 22 of the aperture is of sufficient size to permit turning of the angular shank 25. The retainer, as will be apparent, may

be readily swung and dropped back into op-- erative position when desired. The pin 12 and the cotter 26, or either alone, may be used for preventing the disengagement of the retainer from its supportin lug 19 by the passage of the shank 25 out o the hole 20, the pin 12 overlapping the retainer slightly when in the lowered operative position shown.

The retainer is ordinarily prevented from being lifted into turning position by. the lower end of the pin 12 engaging or overlapping the step 24, both of which have flat surfaces, and 1n such case it is necessary to puslfthe pin 12 up somewhat before the retainer can Le raised sufficiently to accomplish its turning.

In Figs. 3 and 4, a device for accomplishingv practically the same result is shown, alt ou h the construction andA operation are somew at different. In this case, a lug 27 is cast on the bottom of the coupler and is supplied with a square or other angular or similar hole 28 extended therethrough, this lug, as in the previous instance, being ad-' jacent the lower end of the knuckle pivotpin 12. In this instance ythe retainer 29, as in the previous case, has an outstanding foot or step 30 adapted to act as an indicator and support for the broken pin of a freight car, or to act as a direct and normal support for the knuckle-pm of a passengercar coupler. At its top end the retainer 29 is supplied with an '"oppositely-extended shank or pin 31, the portion 32 thereof adjacent to the retainer properV 29 beingof angular or other shape in cross section to conform substantially to the shape and size of the hole 28. The end portion 33 of this shank is of cylindrical shape and of less cross section than the part 32,"and at its end is equipped or supplied with anretaining Cotter-pin 34. Under normal conditions, the part 32 of this lshank resides in the hoh` 2S, the step or ledge 30 underlying the/pin, as is shown in Fig. 3, the 'latteriirtirn preventing out-ward movement of the retainel.' because it lies in front of or overlaps'lh'e same. If the pin becomes broken, one or more parts thereof will fall` or div-)pifnd rest on the ledge 30, the latter supporting the same in operative position, and also acting by engagement with the pinr as an indicator to show-that the pin has been damaged or injured. In case this` retainer is employed-with the pivot-pin of a passenger car, the pin would normally rest on the same, as has been explained aboveV--To shi ft the retainer so as to bring it out of theI path of the pin, the latter, after the cotter 18 has been removed. is forced upwardly sufficiently so that. no portion thereof lies in front of or overlaps thc retainer, whereupon soA the latter may be moved into the dotted-'linel" position shown in Fig. 3, bringing the smaller cylindrical part 33 of the shank into the hole28, and when the parts are in this Aposition the retainer may be swung sidewise away from' the plane of the pin into the dotted-line position shown in Fig. l. which will permit any fragments of a broken pin to drop out of or be removed downwardly from the coupler.

A third modification or style of retainer is illustrated and shown in Figs. 5 and G, and in this case the coupler 35 has cast on its bottom a depending lug 3G supplied with a cylindrical hole 37 extended therethrough for the accommodation of the cylindrical shank 38 of a pivot-pin retainer 39, the latter being equipped with the customary step or ledge 40, while the shank 38 is supplied with an enlar ed head A4:1 to prevent unintentional detac ment of the retainer from the coupler. The'top of the retainer 39 has a fiatsurface 42 which normally lies below, adjacent and parallel to the portion 43 of the coupler, the latter in advance of such shoulder 43 being recessed at 44. 'Il-he retainer occupies ordinarily the full-line position shown in Fig. 5, the ledge or step 40 residing below the pivot-pin 12. Turniner of the retainer and the shank 38 in the heile 37 is prevented under such circumstances by the coperation of the surfaces 42 and 43. If, however, the pivot-pin is pushed lOO llO

upwardly sufficiently so that it no longer lies in front of or overlaps the retainer, .the latter may be slid outwardly, its shank 38 sliding in the hole 3T, to the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 5, and inay then be swung around, owing to the fact that the recess 44 permits turning of the main body of the retainer, into the dotted-line position of Fig. 6,in which position it is out of the l plane of the pin. Otherwise, this particular style and form of retainer is provided for the saine purpose and performs the saine function as the other retainers set forth above.

I claim:

1. The combination of a coupler-head. a pivoted knuckle, a knuckle pivot-pin, and a pivot-pin retainer having a pin and hole connection with said coupler-head, said retaiiiei' pin being normally non-rotatable in its hole, thereby maintaining said retainer in operative relation with said pivot-pin, said retainer-pin being capable of rotation in its hole permitting shifting of the retainer into inoperative position when the pivot-pin is displaced longitudinally, substantially aS described.

2. The combination of a coupler-head, a pivoted knuckle` ay knuckle pivot-pin, and a pivot-pin retainer having sliding engageinent with said coupler-head, said retainer being capable of'turning during a portion ot its sliding travel on said head to bring it into operative positionv with respect to `said pivot-pin, said retainer being incapable of such' turning and consequently being retained inoperative position during the reinainder of its sliding engagement, snbstani tially as described.

The combination ot' a coupler-head. a pivoted knuckle, a kntiekle pivot-pin, and a pivot-pin retainer having sliding engage` inent with said coupler-head and normally prevented from sliding by said kunt-klei pivot-pin, said retainer being capable ot' sliding when the pivot-pin is vertically displaced and of turning during a portion of its sliding travel on saidheadtlo bring it Tnto operative position with respect tosaid pivotpin, said retainer being incapable of such turning and consequently being retained in operative position during the remainder of its sliding engagement, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a coupler-head provided with a hole therethrough, a pivoted knuckle, a knuckle pivot-pin, and a pivotpin retainer having a shank` pivoted and slidable in the hole in the said coupler-head, said shank having a portion angular in cross section and incapable of turning in said hole and another portion capable of sut-.h turning, whereby when the aiignlar part is in such hole the retainer is maintained in operative relation with said pivot-pin and when the retainer is shifted to bring the other part of the shank into said hole the retainer niay be turned into inoperative position, substantially as described.

The combination of a coupler-head provided with a hole therethrough. a pivoted knuckle, a knuckle pivot-pin, and a .pi\ vtpin retainer having a shank titted and slidable' in thc hole in said con iler head, Said shank having a portion angular in cross sees tion and incapable of turning in said hole and another portion capable ot' such turning. \\'hereb when the angular part is in said l hole the retainer is maintained in operative relation with said pivot-pin and when the retainer is shifted to bring the other part of i the shank into said hole the retainer may be l turned into inoperative position, said pivotpiii when in normal position preventing lon- Q git-ndinal niovcnient ot' the shank o1" waid rey tainer thereby preventing the retainer t'roni being turned, substantially as described.

CHARLES I". MURRAY. 

